Ex-Governor of Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti Ordered to GEL 5000 Bail
By Tea Mariamidze
Friday, December 28
The former governor of Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti, Levan Shonia, was imposed GEL 5000 bail by the court on Thursday.
The decision was made based on the petition of the Prosecutor’s Office of Georgia.
The officers of Anti-corruption Agency under the State Security Service (SSS) of Georgia, as a result of operative-searching and investigative activities carried out within the frames of the current investigation on the fact of accepting bribes in large quantities by a group of officials under the article 338 of the Criminal Code of Georgia, brought Levan Shonia to criminal justice on the fact of accepting gifts prohibited by law.
SSS says the investigation established, that in May 2018, upon the request of the governor of Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti Levan Shonia, citizen Z.K. transferred $10,000 to the account of G.A. in accordance to the instruction given by Shonia.
“The money was given to Shonia. The mentioned fact is confirmed on the basis of evidence that exists within the case: testimonies, review of the bank record, information retrieved from the cell phone of Z.K., the letters of Civil Service Bureau and Service Agency of the Ministry of Finance,” the agency stated.
The investigation in relation to Shonia is carried out on the fact of accepting gifts prohibited by law (Article 340 of the Criminal Code of Georgia).
The investigation is carried out by the Anti-corruption Agency under the State Security Service of Georgia.
Shonia’s lawyer, Iza Kalatozishvili says that her defendant is innocent, adding the money was meant to help a person with cancer.
The lawyer claims the person who carried out the money transaction did so voluntarily, adding he can confirm this at the court.
“From the very beginning we cooperated with the investigation, we will cooperate in the future and will definitely establish our truth, "said Kalatozishvili.
